THERE is a palpable sense of confidence in the economy which was sadly absent during the downturn.
From the housing market to manufacturing, indications are good.
However, structural problems remain in the economy both domestically and internationally that threaten to undermine our long-term prospects.
I was disappointed, but not surprised, to read recently that despite the UK's return to growth, unemployment among people aged 16-24 remains as high as one in four in many of our towns and cities. According to think-tank the Work Foundation, even those cities with the lowest levels of unemployment among young people still have a rate of 13%.
Derby, has the 18th highest level of youth unemployment, at more than 21%.
The authors of the report called on national and local government to do more to work with educators and businesses to improve access to apprenticeships and work placements, and provide more careers guidance to young people.
As an employer of more than 6,000 people; many of them within this age bracket, Webhelp UK wholeheartedly supports the grand ambitions of the Work Foundation in its moves to improve the situation for the next generation of the workforce.
However, our experience tells us it's not enough just to provide more work placements. Increasingly, the jobs are there to be filled but the young people don't have the necessary skills to fill them.
We're not talking maths and English here. The problem is with soft, non-academic skills. Many lack an understanding of interview etiquette, how to write a CV and don't possess the basic knowledge of the world of work.
They have the ability to make a meaningful contribution to the workplace. They just don't have the means of articulating this.
Measures to address this through placement schemes will not bridge this gap. If someone can't get through the door, they won't be able to benefit from learning on the job.
Careers advisers, in my experience, do a sterling job but their efforts will come to nothing if employers don't engage with young people at the earliest possible stage.
Through our Customer Experience Academy, Webhelp UK has been able to address these issues among our own candidates.
Rather than turning away promising young people who perhaps do not interview well, for more than a year now we've been inviting them to complete a five-week work skills course. Then we give them a second chance at an interview.
The results speak for themselves. Since December 2012, more than 270 young candidates have successfully completed the programme to earn a customer service qualification, with a further 330 places available this year.
A lot of employers will complain about a skills gap, and call on the Government to address this but the only way we'll make progress on this is if more companies put their money where their mouths are to give young people a chance.
